The Cannon Group - Distribution

Distribution

The Cannon Group's first films in the United States were distributed independently and released on home video, initially through MCA Videocassette, Inc. and later on the small Paragon Video label. Cannon then made a deal with MGM, and their movies were distributed for home video (and later some films theatrically) by MGM, appearing in the gray MGM Video "big boxes".

Later, Golan and Globus had a falling out with MGM, supposedly over the erotic unrated film Bolero with Bo Derek, which ended up being released under the U.S.A. Home Video label. Their movies were then released on home video for a short time by Media Home Entertainment, with some of the larger films, like Masters of the Universe and Over the Top, distributed by either or Warner Bros. or TriStar Pictures. When Cannon merged with Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, they inherited EMI's home video label, which was then a partnership with HBO; however, they soon withdrew from the partnership to start their own video label with underwriting from WB, which lasted into the 1990s.

Today, the worldwide theatrical and home-video rights (as well as international TV rights) to the majority of Cannon's library are owned by MGM, with the following exceptions:

  • Certain Cannon films are now distributed by Warner Bros. in most territories (including certain territorial home-video rights to Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) are now owned by WB themselves. Worldwide theatrical and all other rights in other European territories for Superman IV are now with Warner Bros..
  • MGM owns the theatrical and home-video rights to Lifeforce. The television rights, however, belong to Sony Pictures Television, due to Sony-owned production/distribution company TriStar Pictures distributing the film in the United States. Sony also holds some digital rights, as it was formerly seen on Sony-owned website Crackle. (Since then, MGM posted it on Hulu and Netflix.) For a short time, Sony co-distributed most of the MGM library on TV.
  • Theatrical and home video rights to most Cannon films made after 1987 are now with Warner Bros., including Masters of the Universe and Little Dorrit.
  • Selected Cannon films inherited through its merger with Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, such as Link, are now with EMI successor StudioCanal; Anchor Bay Entertainment handled the US home-video rights until 2010, when StudioCanal made a new deal with Lionsgate.
  • MGM does not own the home-video rights to The Company of Wolves, a Palace Pictures/ITC Entertainment co-production that was released on DVD by Hen's Tooth, under license from international rights holder ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.

In all cases except worldwide television rights to Lifeforce, Trifecta Entertainment & Media handles the United States television rights to the Cannon pictures produced by Golan and Globus from 1979 onward; these rights were previously owned by Viacom Enterprises, Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount Domestic Television, and CBS Television Distribution. CTD and its ancestor companies owned the TV rights to Superman IV until 2006, after which Warner Bros. Television took over the rights for three years, which went in 2009 to Paramount through television licensee Trifecta. Paramount Pictures owns the rights to distribute the Cannon library (except Lifeforce) on digital platforms. MGM retains television and digital platform rights to earlier Cannon films released before the company's purchase by Golan and Globus in 1979, such as Joe.

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